1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fastening and clamping nuts used in collet chuck systems to fasten a collet to a receiving body. This invention also relates to tool bit holding systems and methods of cutting a specimen.
2. Background
Rotary-type working tools are commonly used in machining and material-working processes, such as turning, boring, drilling, milling, broaching, and grinding. Depending on the desired material-working process, different types of rotary tool bits and work pieces, such as drill bits, broaches, and sanding heads, are used with the rotary-type working tools. Often, it is desirable for the working tools to be able to utilize removable tool bits and work pieces so that differently sized or shaped tools may be used on a single machine. Different types of tool bit holders or chucks, such as drill chucks and independent jaw chucks, are available to hold such removable tool bits and work pieces.
A collet chuck is a type of chuck commonly found on milling machines, lathes, wood routers, and precision grinders. The collet chuck is generally characterized by a collet disposed within an end portion of a tool shaft or motorized spindle of a working tool and held in place by a fastening nut or collet nut. The collet has a plurality of longitudinally extending jaws arranged equidistant angularly around the circumference of the collet and spaced apart by a plurality of longitudinally extending cuts. As the fastening nut is threaded onto the end portion of the tool shaft or spindle, the inner surfaces of the tool shaft or spindle compresses the jaws of the collet. Compression of the jaws creates a strong clamping force that is used to clamp onto the shank of a work piece or tool bit and securely hold the tool bit or work piece to the working tool.
Collet chucks are widely used in the wood, metal, and plastic working industries. In addition to the working tools and machines, vacuums and other suction means are also often present to remove dust and residues created while cutting or machining specimens. There are many advantages in preventing excessive dust and residue build-up at the site of the cut. Excessive dust and residue build-up creates extra friction on the rotating tool bit, which decreases the tool life and increases undesired heat generation. Additional post-cutting debris removal operations are also required, where operators manually remove the generated debris and waste materials from the specimen through air ejection or vacuum means. This extra post-working process results in reduced production throughput and wasted time, labor, and money.
There are known systems that address the issue of dust and residue removal. In one system, an air/fluid ejecting tube is attached to the machine operating head to blast away dust and debris at the site of machining However, such a system increases the amount of dust and debris in the air and surrounding areas, which becomes a health hazard to operators and negatively influences the operability of the equipment. Furthermore, the system requires additional air/fluid ejecting equipment that must be adapted and attached to the working tool. In another system, an air suction tube is attached to the machine operating head to vacuum the dust and debris at the site of machining However, such a system is operationally inefficient and does not completely remove the generated debris and waste. In another system, Colleluori (International Application Number PCT/EP2007/052809), hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses a cutting or etching device with an impeller keyed onto the tool that removes fine and powdery wastes with suction created from rotation of the tool. However, the device requires specifically manufactured tools with a keyed or integrated impeller. Furthermore, the specifically manufactured tools cannot accept the various existing tool bits and working pieces already in use by other working tools and machines. Therefore adaptation of the device requires a significant financial investment for an operator already with currently operating working tools and machines. Additionally, the number of specifically manufactured tool bits for the device is limited and significantly less in comparison to the general assortment of available industry standard-sized tool bits and working pieces. Thus it is likely that in adapting the device, operators will not able to use the tool bits and working pieces that they are more familiar with or prefer.
Furthermore, the above described systems rely on the operator and/or pre-set parameters in a computer controller to limit the degree of cutting/machining on an article. However, in unexpected situations, such as instances resulting from operator oversight or an erroneous parameter input, there is no last-minute safety mechanism that prevents damage to the working tool when the tool is forced too aggressively onto an article. Cutting or machining an article too aggressively may result in the tool shaft or motorized spindle contacting the article and being abruptly stopped from an extremely high-speed rotation, thereby causing significant damage to the working tool or machine.
Therefore, there is a need for a working tool/machining system with efficient dust and residue removal capabilities. There is also a need for a cost-effective dust and residue removal apparatus that can be adapted to existing working tool systems, wherein a minimal amount of additional equipment is required for such dust and residue removal capabilities. Furthermore, there is a need for a tool bit holding system with dust and residue removal capabilities that can be attached to existing working tools and machines and that can further utilize existing tool bits and working pieces, in order to minimize adaptation costs and maximize the operability and functionality of the working tools and machines currently existing in the market. Additionally, there is a need for a system and apparatus that provides a safety mechanism which prevents damage to the working tool when the tool is forced too aggressively onto an article.